The Grimm-Faunus Conflict
by Kouta Aburame
Summary: This is the story of the Kingdom of Vale, and its efforts to free the isle of Menagerie from the creatures of Grimm.
1. Preface

This is a idea that has been mulling around in my head for almost three months now, and after a full rough draft and four revisions, I still don't think I have done this story justice. I ask you the readers to be patient with me, for I feel this is a story that must be told properly, and might undergo a few revisions over the course of its inception. Should you find yourself confused about points or find something unclear, I would love to hear your concerns. This is as much your story as it is mine, and for all those hard working writers over at RoosterTeeth, I hope I can do you justice.


	2. Epitaph

"The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity. They are the darkness and we are the light."

~Pyrrha Nikos


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Other Path

The patchy canvas of mildew infested cloth was little thicker than the clothes on her back, yet was more complete a prison than any stone fortress she could imagine. She dared not move from the center of this filth encrusted tent. She sat with legs crossed, her blackened fingernails pressing into her thighs. Her once shimmering pine green hair was as dry and brittle as old sewing needles and her wanton hazel eyes wandered like a light starved plant, ever gazing towards her one source of starlight, the door to a monochromatic land of trampled snow.

Four seasons passed through that view since Caramel awoke in this godforsaken place, and here she stayed, sealed away by the fiends of men's dreams. Allowing herself to reminisce for a moment, she remembered this was supposed to be a grand journey of discovery for her and her team. Fresh from their training at the newly founded academy, they set off to explore the farthest reaches of the globe, to see wonders no armchair scholar could hope to imagine. They were supposed to be the shining beacons who brought salvation to the unknown vestiges of mankind, the elite vanguard against the dark fiends known as the creatures of Grimm.

One dark night on this island changed all that. It was their eyes she saw first, sloshing about in their sockets like saucers of old blood. Their greasy musk, seemed to infect her nostrils like some fearful plague, and their hulking half-ton bodies moved with a speed and dexterity that nature never could have intended. They were more like caricatures of majestic animals, great bear like swells of ink bursting from their canvas, paper fangs bared. The ground thundered with their stampede, hoots and shouts of grunt tones filled the air, drowning out her team leader's shouted orders.

All her training, all the preparations she endured to combat these monsters, fled in terror at the sight of them. What little Dust she could kindle into flame did little more than singe her hands. All around she perceived the bright greasy sheen from the Grimm's fur as they encircled them, the thunk of heavy spears against the ground, the dimming glow of her surrounding teammates. The hot smell of magnesium saturated the air, gunshots fired at random. There was a scream, a pained scream just at her side, the brief flicker, another Aura swallowed by a night almost material, and then the taste of hot blood as the world swam out of focus.

She wished her teammates were dead. Humans had once inhabited this island she knew, but by a power she had never even read about, the Grimm had somehow, transformed them. Long slender tails curled from their backsides, and their once human ears had long since withdrawn into their skulls to be replaced by pointed cat , abominations, came to tend to her needs, taking her out for fresh air, keeping her clean, providing smoked meat with boiled greens twice a day. Instinctively, Caramel knew she must never partake of that meat, no matter how savory its scent might be. She knew full well where that meat must come from, what effects it must have.

Would she grow a tail? Sprout that inky black fur? Crawl on all fours while her snout elongated into that skull like face? Again she stroked the sides of her face and the top of her hair just to prove to herself they were still the same.

How much longer could she last? Despite her restraint, she was beginning to discern patterns in their course speech, even interpreting basic phrases and words. The first step to becoming a Grimm must be to understand them, she thought, and now she interpret the chatter of her guards outside as they talked about their next trip into the forest.

She wished to end it all, to free herself from this transformation before it consumed her and left her a mindless mass of destruction. Her hand absently squeezed a small handful of the loose dirt at her side, silently cursing the dull tint. The Dust she knew gleamed like ground up gemstones and held within the fundamental forces of the universe. Just a sprinkle of Fire Dust could give her the heat she needed to burn a hole in this tent. She had used the last of it in her previous escape attempt though, and the Ursa's had pinned her down before she got far.

It was hopeless. Today would be like the previous day, and it would be like tomorrow as well, and all she could do was sit and wait for the inevitable. Would she be a small coyote Beowolf, or a hulking bear like Ursa, or perhaps even a serpent Taijitu? Maybe she would slither from this tent and silence the guards outside by swallowing one of them whole. That was indeed her only satisfying thought.

It was then the world suddenly stopped. She felt more than heard what came next, a deep heavy thudding of something even bigger than her Ursa guards. Every fiber of her being pulled her away from the door and prepared to spring.

A meaty, olive skinned hand seized the top of the tent flap, and out from that portal emerged a creature more muscle than man. A yellow set of teeth were framed against his retracted jaw and his cheekbones seemed tight against his sun broiled skin. That, in junction with the black moss like hair green eyes, gave her the impression of a stone cliff facing the ocean, as his strangely angular features were smoothed by a powerful stroke of the lips, and a laid back tension in those constantly taught muscles.

He crept in clumsily and then eased himself down to sit cross legged before her while laying a small stone lamp in between them. His movements were slow and deliberate, and whenever she twitched, he paused for a moment, as if looking for her permission to continue. When he finally settled into a comfortable position, he spoke with a rumble that made her shiver to her toes.

"Do you, understand, my words?"

She did not speak, did not want to confirm the fact, but the massive Grimm did not even pause for her to respond. "I am sorry that we have had to contain you in such restrictive circumstances," he continued, maintaining eye contact as best he could. Caramel could not look into the partial slit of those pupils without turning away. "Can I get you some water, or even mulberry wine?"

"What do you want?" she snapped. She was tired, she was hungry, angry and frustrated. She didn't want anything to do with these beasts and now one had come to taunt her with conversation.

"I just want to talk," he said, resting his massive forearms against his thighs, "I've been waiting all this time to have a quiet discussion with the spellcaster from beyond the seas."

"Is that what you call me?"

"You don't know?" He laughed at that, a deep laugh that actually seemed to light up the room, "I thought you might have overheard the people gawking at your tent. I heard it all the time the first month or two, gets rather annoying but it is good to let them have their fun."

She resisted the urge to feel her ears, as the back of her neck became rather hot and bothered, "I'm not that different," she muttered, then as if to assure herself added, "I rather like the way I look, thank you very much."

"Hey I'm not judging, but someone with skin as fair as a newborn and no tail or ears stirs up the imagination. Add to that the fire you conjured up in your last bid for freedom, and the village just can't get enough of you."

"So you think I'm crazy is that it?" She glowered, her temper flaring, "just some bauble for you to shake in front of people like some box of chocolates?"

The man leaned back, "No no!" he said, pondering what chocolates might be, "I just wanted to keep you safe until you understood the danger. When you took off for that forest, thank god we caught you. The Beowolf clan would have torn you limb from limb."

"Like you did with all my other friends." She knew punching him would do nothing, so she made her words to cut deep, "I heard them screaming, you and your clan killed all of them."

A pregnant pause followed those words. "That...that is something I deeply regret," He said, turning those hazel eyes to the floor.

Caramel did not care for such pity. A year's worth of pent up anger was her dagger and she cared little for mercy. "I don't care, my friends are all dead, and you drag me here as some trophy for some ritual, and now your trying to lie and say it was for my own safety?"

"Yes!" The man didn't shout, although Caramel wished he had, "do not forget that it was you and your friends who shot and killed one of our Ursa's without provocation. My clan responded in kind, and it was only because I convinced them you had no part in the killing that you were spared."

"You didn't save me," she said after a moment, "you just locked me up in the kennel like some useless pet."

At this the man stood up, his frame filling a large portion of the tent, staring down at the woman. "We will go for a walk, you and I."

"Is that a threat?"

"It is a honor," said the man, "Today my son chooses his Ursa companion. I also think getting out of this tent will do you some good."

She looked the glistening man from nape to knave, pondering how she might use this moment of freedom to escape from this place. She did not know the lay of the land, but maybe if she went south, she would have a chance of avoiding recapture. Taking a walk with the giant was certainly better than just sitting in this tent and waiting for nothing to happen. She had long since given up expecting anyone finding her in this place, so she decided if they were willing to give her the opportunity, then she would take it.

"Alright, I'll go along with whatever it is you're planning." She felt like she would soon regret the decision, but she could no longer stay confined in this rat den. . With that thought, she was on her feet and had just taken one step forward when his massive hand reached out and stopped her.

"My name is Barcino," said the giant, "might I ask yours?"

She wasn't sure what this Barcino would do with her name, but there seemed to be no harm by it. "Caramel Rosenbaum," she said slowly, still unsure of whether to reveal it.

Despite the hesitation, Barcino hardly seemed phased. In fact, he smiled, "it is a lovely name, Caramel." After that, he was gone from the tent in two strides, and Caramel followed in his shadow.

* * *

Stepping out into the snow made her think of what everyone was doing back at home. There it must be in the middle of winter by now, way past Christmas. Even thinking of home led to thoughts of her parents and her younger sister still in that warm cozy house, sitting around a low burning fire while the frost stuck to the base of the window frames. She wondered if there were still presents under the tree left unopened.

The wind funneled between the black fur tents was sharp. It sliced past her cheeks and cut through her clothes, stealing the warmth within like some petty thief. She hated the cold, hated having to wear five layers of clothing so thick she could barely move. In recent years her natural Aura helped to stave off those chills, but her once healthy glow was fading, leaving her shivering in the frozen air.

Before she knew it, something heavy fell across her shoulders. Alarmed, she sprang on the tips of her heels, but soon realized it was just a smooth black cloak.

"You look so much younger when you smile." Barcino had a wide smile himself, one with a few too many dimples and wrinkles for a man his age.

Caramel threw the cloak around herself and kept her arms close to her torso. She had not meant to smile. "Thanks," she said, looking him up and down from a good step back. Whether Barcino was being nice or too nice, she wasn't sure. Either way she didn't like it.

Barcino himself seemed to think he had somehow brought offense, because he turned a touch red and changed the subject. "Its should only be a few minutes walk, but it would be efficacious to keep that hood up."

Caramel had no objections. She had to trot to keep up with Barcino's powerful stride, bouncing between the footprints to keep her feet out of the snow. Much to her surprise, the man's feet were only a few sizes larger than her own.. They hardly seemed to compliment the mountain like weight of the man's stature and girth. It seemed to humanize the cat eared man a bit, she thought.

For the most part she kept her eyes focused on her next step, but every so often she would look up and catch a glimpse of the village from between the tents. There were Ursa everywhere in this encampment, black oily shapes blurred as they zipped between the tent frames with the natives following closely behind. She glimpsed a large Ursa surrounded by her three cubs, each trying to climb onto her shoulders before her enormous paw pushed them back down. Another pair of Ursa were playfully gnashing their teeth at one another as they rolled playfully across the snow. Another Ursa, more formidable than she had ever heard of, sat quietly next to a vendor who bartered cloaks, staring vacantly at the cloudy sky while scratching an itch with its hind leg.

Choosing an Ursa. She mouthed the words as if such a thing was absurd, more so to allow for such things to roam about with children, and yet the Ursa here seemed quite docile.

"Do you really mean to give your son to these things?" She did not know if pity or cold brought color to her cheeks, maybe a little of both. She could only see the smaller image of her guide hurled into a gaggle of the gleaming shapes, twirling ever so slowly like a slab of salted ham.

The man looked back at her for a moment with a rather puzzled expression. "Well of course, every boy wants nothing more than to tend an Ursa cub. This is a triumphant moment in his life. He hasn't talked of anything else for weeks."

"They'll tear him apart," she commented aloud, unable to restrain herself. Immediately she wanted to take the words back when she saw Barcino's warning stare, but she wasn't about to leave it unsaid. "Is it your intent to offer him as some sort of, sacrifice?"

If Barcino wasn't offended before he was not, and Caramel thought for a moment he'd slap her. His calloused hand squeezed into a fist, his forearm tensed, but after a deep breath his quiet, patient demeanor returned.

"You do not understand," came the deep thrum, in a tone similar to what a father might take with his curious daughter, "The Ursa are dangerous, that is true, but they are companions worthy of our respect."

Again he picked up the pace, "Our homes are made from their furs, our families fed with their bodies, and our weapons forged from their bones and claws. The mighty Ursa taught us what it meant to be strong, then gave us the tools we needed to not only survive, but thrive in this world we share. It is our duty as a clan to provide for them in turn and ensure their safety."

Those words brought Caramel back to a warmer place, a stone chamber draped in colorful banners where she knelt before the head of her kingdom.

"As Hunters, you will stand as the cornerstone of civilization. As Hunters, you will liberate this world from the tyranny of the Grimm. But as humans, it is your sworn duty to save those less fortunate than us and bring them peace of mind."

Those words uplifted her through her odyssey across the unknown seas, to witness situations no soul imagined was possible.

They were beyond the village now and Caramel noticed how musky the village was when compared to the fresh air of the fields surrounding it. The snow was starting to pick up, coming in great sheets of speckled white, quickly covering whatever exposed grass that managed to poke through. Now she had to step sideways behind Barcino to keep her back to the winds. If only she had a bit of fire Dust to generate some heat.

Their destination was finally in sight, as the blowing snow cleared. Like much of the infrastructure of this clan, the tent was made from the same black furs, but this tent was far more formidable in size. The square base was at least ten feet tall in itself, and then the roof sloped up towards two central poles that held up the roof. It looked more like a circus tent than a actual house.

Some of the children were already running around outside with their Ursas, bounding and wrestling with the beasts. Their laughter echoed clearly across the open field and a slight smile crept across Caramel's lips, despite her stern resistance.

"I still do not understand. The only beasts Grimm cooperate with is other Grimm. If you are not Grimm, then what are you?"

"Can't say I've ever thought about that," he said, "For all I know, we might be."

Stories chased each other through Caramel's brain. The meat must have induced in them a transformation, some kind of metamorphoses that transformed their ears and their eyes into those unsightly shapes. The Grimm, for all their power and strength, could not possess a soul. These, animals, retained that characteristic glow she only saw in humans, but what then could they be? Was there another race like the humans in this world, or was this the Grimm's way of harnessing Aura?

Before they even entered the tent, another small boy emerged out of the flap and following closely behind was a little baby Ursa. The boy's family resemblance was immediately apparent, bearing the same dimples around his mouth and his hair had the same distinctive curl as his father. He leapt towards his father, more joyous than any boy Caramel had ever seen. "Dad, one of the Ursa's chose me!"

"I knew they would." The cub withdrew from the reaching hand, but Barcino stroking his massive finger along the cub's back, his digit covering the entire gap between the Ursa's shoulders. "If you don't mind, we still have something to discuss, so you go out and enjoy your new company."

The boy seemed hesitant at first, but couldn't resist the desire to play with his new friend. Off they went across the fields, dodging a few snowballs hurled their way.

"I fear for that boy's future," said Barcino after a moment, "It might be tomorrow, it might be ten cycles of the seasons, but someday your people must return. When that time comes, I will ensure you return safely to them, but all I can do in the meantime is provide you a place of safety in our clan."

"Its not like I have much of a choice."

"Maybe not," he admitted, "but your teachings will help to bridge the gap between our two worlds. You will be the link that connects our two cultures."

She thought for a moment, then shook her head, "I just don't know," she said, furrowing her brows, "I don't even know who you are or how you came to be."

"I am not asking you to make your choice now. It is difficult, I know, to help another clan. No matter your choice though, know that you are welcome to stay for as long as you wish."

With that Barcino left her on her own and followed after his son.

She had been left without guards or restraints of any kind. No one was watching her. In that moment she could slip away and she was sure that nobody would come to follow, all of them so stepped in their merriment. She could be free at last, free to find her own way back home, back to her own family.

It was a false hope she knew. She had no idea where to go or what direction home was. She couldn't craft a boat worth sailing the ocean currents, and had only the slightest hope of reaching one of those barren islands where she knew the Nevermore came to rest.

Could she truly stay? As a Huntress, it was her duty to destroy the Grimm wherever they may be. As a human, she was to end conflict and bring peace to the native peoples. Was it a betrayal of her own people, of her profession, to live amongst the Grimm? Of course it was, and yet she could not bring herself to justify the alternative, the eradication of this peaceful village, and all of its inhabitants.

She turned back towards the village and her tent. As much as she enjoyed the fresh air, she was already far too cold to be comfortable. She took one glance back at the father and son playing in the snow, and again that little slice of humanity could not help but bring a smile to her haggard face. He was a good father, and he must be blessed with a good son.


	4. Technical Difficulties

Ladies and gentlemen I'm sorry to say that I will not have the second chapter out as I originally had planned. I finished the revised draft on Friday and intended to sit down through the weekend to polish and sculpt the chapter, when my computer crashed and wouldn't start up again. It is not as bad as it looks. I still have the rough draft and my notes for the upcoming chapters, and I have a suspicion as to what the problem is, but for now all my notes are still on my computer, and it might take sometime to get it fully back online.

That leaves me at a impasse, which I wanted to get your opinions on. Fixing this might take a while, but I might still be able to get my notes. If I can, I could either get Chapter 2 out as soon as possible, or I could aim to flesh out the next two chapters in the interim. If I put all my focus into Chapter 2, then I might be able to get it done some point this weekend and get it posted, which means content for you faster. If you guys don't mind though, I want to take the time to flesh out Chapters 3 and 4 so that in the long term I can summon a more consistent schedule for these uploads, in exchange for pushing Chapter 2 to next Wednesday instead of Sunday.

I'm sorry this had to happen right at the start of the story, but I hope you can be patient with me while I sort out these issues. If you have any preference on where I should focus my efforts, just send me a PM.


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